The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

News for 13 Oct 2010

13.10.2010 Formation of election precincts in Orsha

The Orsha Town Executive Committee established the election precincts in the towns of Orsha and Balbasava by its ruling #1456 of 11 October 2010.

UN Human Rights Committee to consider individual communication about violation of right to peaceful assemblies by Belarusian authorities

13.10.2010 UN Human Rights Committee to consider individual communication about violation of right to peaceful assemblies by Belarusian authorities

The UN Human Rights Committee has registered the individual communication of the Smaliavichy civil activist Yauhen Puhach concerning the violation of his right to peaceful assemblies and freedom of expression by the local authorities. The official Minsk has six months to submit to the Committee its commentaries on this case.

13.10.2010 Baranavichy: human rights defenders file proposals to Central Election Commission

On 13 October the Baranavichy human rights defenders Siarhei Housha and Karnei Piatrovich addressed the Central Election Commission with a proposal. The matter is that two members of the Baranavichy City Territorial Election Commission, Leanid Chukho and Larysa Antonava, are members of the electoral team of Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Larysa Antonava is a proxy of the deputy of the Chamber of Representatives Sviatlana Pishch. Her candidacy was nominated for the election commission by the trade union of workers of state institutions. She also used to head the ideological department of the Baranavichy City Executive Committee. Leanid Chukho is a retired military officer who was nominated to the commission by the Belarusian Union of Military Officers. The both of them had worked at election commissions during previous elections.

13.10.2010 Minsk: state-owned press keeps silent about presidential election

During the recent weeks the state-owned newspapers of the Minsk region – Minski Kuryer, Viacherni Minsk and Prystalichcha haven’t told the readers even the surnames of the potential candidates for the presidential position. Only those who read the articles in the Officially column can conclude that an electoral campaign is held in the country because the authorities create election commissions.

13.10.2010 Vitsebsk: dismissal of coordinator of electoral team of Ryhor Kostuseu

The member of the Belarusian Popular Front Party Aliaksandr Kastusiou worked as a driver in the taxi firm 107, using his own car.

13.10.2010 Hrodna Region Tax Inspection waives lawsuit against ‘Polonika’

The trial concerning the liquidation of Polonika – a firm that is closely connected to the disgraced Union of Poles in Belarus, was to have been held at the Hrodna Regional Economic Court on 11 October. However, the tax inspection waived its lawsuit at the last moment, as a result of which the case was dropped.

13.10.2010 Chief editor of ‘Vitebskiy Kurier’ fined 1,225,000 rubles

The Liozna District Court considered the administrative case against the chief editor of the socio-political newspaper Vitebskiy Kurier Viktar Ramniou who was charged with unlawful distribution of the newspaper for transporting 11,000 copies of it from a Russian printing house to Vitsebsk.

13.10.2010 Dziarzhynsk: member of electoral team of Andrei Sannikau detained by police

On 12 October the police detained Aliaksandr Tarnahutski who was collecting signatures in a apartment block. A police car drove up to him when he was standing at the house entrance. The police asked what he had been doing in the house. Mr. Tarnahutski answered that he was collecting signatures in support and Andrei Sannikaua and showed him his passport and certificate of a member of the electoral team. The policemen detained him and decided to draw up a report on absence of a retroreflector.

13.10.2010 Lukashenka’s supporters continue violating electoral legislation

According to information of our observers, teachers of secondary schools #121, 191 and 19 in Minsk were offered to take compensatory holidays for taking part in collecting signatures at the electoral pickets of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, for which they were promised 'good wage bonuses'.

13.10.2010 Slonim: collector of signatures for Ryhor Kostuseu not let in student dormitories

Aliaksandr Panasevich, a member of the electoral team of the member of the Belarusian Popular Front Ryhor Kostuseu, wanted to collect signatures in the dormitories of the Slonim building organization MPMK-164 and Slonim State Medical College after work. However, the commandants and janitors of the dormitories blankly refused to let him in stating that it was prohibited to collect signatures in dormitories.

13.10.2010 Brest Regional Court turns down complaint of 'Brestskaya Viasna'

On 12 October the Brest Regional Court left standing the verdict of the Brest City Court supporting the non-registration of the Brest regional human rights organization Brestskaya Viasna by the justice bureau of the Brest Regional Executive Committee.

13.10.2010 Gay activist fined 700,000 rubles for street action

On 11 October the gays and lesbians of the world mark the Coming Out Day – the day when representatives of sexual minorities voluntary reveal their sexual orientation. Belarusian gays and lesbians marked this day by holding a street action in Minsk. Though they had applied for official permission on the eve of the action, the Minsk City Executive Committee didn't sanction the rally.

13.10.2010 Brest: provocateurs detained near electoral picket of Vital Rymasheuski

On 12 September afternoon an incident happened at the entrance of the central market of Brest. Three inebriated youngsters came up to the electoral picket of the potential candidate for president Vital Rymasheuski and said they would tear down the white-red-white flag that was raised by the picketers. They also clang to the member of the electoral team Zmitser Shukhrai, tried to hinder the work of the picketers and insulted the passers-by who came up to sign for Mr. Rymasheuski.

13.10.2010 Ruling for limitation of places for electoral picketing abolished in Rasony and Pastavy

The official website of the Pastavy District Executive Committee published the information http://postavy.vitebsk-region.gov.by/ru/vybory_president concerning the abolition of its ruling of 20 September (the ruling banned electoral picketing in some places of these towns). The Pastavy and Rasony officials seem to follow the path of the Vitsebsk authorities: this year the Vitsebsk City Executive Committee hasn't adopted a ruling to determine the places that were banned for electoral pickets.